Haydn m



, H. Mgllnua. y AManufactuvre of Iron and Steel. y N'.-T50,?1I87. Ptented May 5.1874.`

'//A I j ,j

HAYDNM. BAKER, or WILLIAMsBUEe, NEW Yonx.

. IMPROEEMENTiN THE MANUFACTUREOF IRON AND STEEL.

` Specification formngipart of Letters Patent No. 150,387, dated May 5, 1874, application filed.

' September 30, 1873.

. effectually convert iron ore directly into steel or wrought or cast iron, or to convert cast-iron into wrought-iron or steel, as well as to conduct other metallurgical processes; and this object I attain by the application, in the manner fully explained hereafter, of superheated volatile agents under pressure, and of a character adapted to the ore or metal to bc-rcduced and converted; also, by the application of nonvolatile agents, the apparatus, wherewith the processes `are carried into effect, constituting an especial feature of my invention.

The furnace by which I prefer to carry my invention into effect is illustratedv in the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 being a vertical section of the furnace and retort; Fig. 2, a plan view, and Fig. 3, a vertical on the line l 2, Fig. 1.

A is the're-place, the products of conibus` tion from which pass through lues a a in the opposite 'side walls of the furnace into the chamber B, (see Fig. 3,) and thence through a passage, b, at the rear of the said chamber to the exit-line c, communicating with the chimney. D is the termination of an-inlet passage, in to which the volatile agents, referred to hereafter, are introduced under more or less pressure,

the said agents becoming thoroughly superheated in traversing this passage before they lreach its terminationfD. Gr is the crucible,-

supported on the arched roof A' of the replace, this crucible having in front a mouth,

d, to which is fitted a slab, e, and from the latter projects a. shelf, f, into the interior of the crucible, in front of which there is also a tapping-hole, h, and an orifice, i, for a purpose explained hereafter.` In the rear of the crucible there i s an opening, through which projects the end of a shelf, H, into the interior of t-he crucible, the said shelf forming a continuation of vthe bed H', onto which' the charge of metal or ore is fed from the charging-bed M, immediately above the flue b. A passage, m, in, or

beneath, the shelf H forms a communication between the inlet D and the interior of the crucible G. f-

We will suppose, in the first instance, that pig-iron has to be converted into steel in vthe above-described furnace. The charge of ironv is deposited on the shelf H' while the furnace is at its full heat, and as soon as the charge ofv iron approaches a melting-stage a superheated volatile oxidizing agent is introduced under pressure into the inlet D. This agent, which may consist of steam, air, or the vapor of nitric acid, is projected through the passage w, in the shelf H, and into the crucible, but the front of the latter being closed the agent will return from the crucible, and, in seeking the flue b,must impinge against the metal as it gradually flows from the charge on the bed H', and down the shelf H into the interior of the crucible, and, as the metal ows over the edge of the shelf, it must be crossed by the voxidizing agent; hence, the latter must be brought into intimate contact with the metal both as the latter descends the shelf, and as it ilows in broken streams therefrom into the crucible. been exhausted, and is in va molten mass in the crucible, the volatile oxidizing agent may, by an increase of pressure, be projected from the passage directly onto the 4molten mass in the crucible, thereby continuing the oxidizing process, but the pressure of slag on the surface of the mass tends to obstruct this forci ble action of the agent; hence, I prefer to close the pipes communicating with the inlet D, and thus discontinue the application of volatile agents, and resort to that of `non-volatile agents, in the manner which I will now proceed to describe. Iror to the introduction of the charge of pig-iron on the bed H', a mass of oxide of iron, or of oxygensalts of iron, such Vas spiegeleisen or hematite, carbonate of iron, or chromate of iron, or any combination of two or more of these, has been placed on the shelf f, and while the above process of applying volatile agents Was continued,this nonvolatile agent had become heated to a temperature which rendered it most available for application to the molten mass in the crucible.

The introduction of this nonvolatile agent should be gradual, and in quantities which the Vhen the charge of pig-iron hasV character of the molten mass may suggest, an i instrument, y, Fig. 1, the handle of which projects through the slab c, being used to push the material from time to time from the shelf' f. The condition of the metal in the crucible may be ascertained by looking into the opening l1., or by the aid of the well-known spectroscope, or by the examination of specimens withdrawn through the said opening, the results of these examinations determining the propriety of continuing or discontinuing either of the above operations.

If wrought-iron of a superior quality has to be obtained from the charge of pig-iron, precisely the same mode of proceeding which I have described is resorted to, the oxidizing process, however, being continued for a greater length of time, and the contents of the crucible being subjected to the usual puddlin g process by a suitable instrument introduced into the mouth d.

If iron ore has to be converted directlylinto steel, it is charged onto the `bed H with an appropriate iiux, and when the ore becomes heated volatile deoxidizin g agents are projected through the passage .r under such light pressure that they will turn abruptly, and, following the course of the draft, be brought into intimate contact with the charge of ore. The tendency ot' these volatile deoxidizing agents, which, in this instance, should be hydrocarbons, or oxygenated or nitrogenized hydrocar bons-such as petroleum, coaltar, dead-oil, resin-oils, which are distilled by superheatingis to furnish carbon and hydrogen to the oxygen ofthe ore;*in other words, the agents are volatile deoxidizers.

The interior of the furnace havin g approach ed the melting-point of steel the charge will bccomey semifluid when the further admission of the volatile deoxydizing agent should be discontinued, and the metal will ndits way into the Crucible, from whence the steel may he withdrawn by tapping. Should the steel, however, in the crucible be too highly carbon@ ized lionwolatile oxidizing agents should be added from the shelff.

It may be remarked here that the metal on the bed H1 first, as it assumes a semi-fluid mass, is really wrought iron, and maybe puddled on the bed by appropriate instruments 5 but if I desired to p roduce Wrought-iron direct from the ore I should not adhere to the precise construction of the furnace above described, but should adopt that shown in the diagram, Fig. 4, where p represents the inclined shelf for receiving the charge, q the bed of the furnace, and t a hollow bridge, through which pass the volatile agents.

It will be observed that one ot' the features of my invention is carried out in this structurethat is, the directing of superheated volatile deoxidizing agents onto the orc, and placed 011 a shelf or bed, down which the metal can flow into the body of the furnace.

In making pig-ironfrom ore all that is necessary is to force thevolatiledeoxidizing agents under greater pressure, and consequently in greater quantities, through the passage x.

An important feature of my invention is the manner of arranging the crucible within the furnace. lThe base of the crueible is adapted to the inclined or curved ytop of the roof A1 of the lire-place, so that after the removal of a few bricks which retainl the crucible in its place, the latter can be easily withdrawn to make Way for a new erucible without disturbing either the furnace or the shelf H. Should there be a slight leak of the crucible no serious loss can take place, as the metal will be retained within the furnace below the outlet of the iues a a. (See Fig. 3.) The upper end of a door, I, is hinged to the front of the furnace, and is so arranged as to inclose the front of the crucible but it is notnecessary to close this door excepting when the furnace has to be cooled for repairing and other purposes, in which case the closing ofthe door will prevent such rapid cooling of the crucible as might tend to crack it. 1

Although I have described the furnace as applied to the reduction of iron and the conversion of cast-iron into steel or Wroughtiron, it should be understood that the furnace and erucible may be used for the conducting of other metallurgical processes.

In reducing ores I sometimes dispense with the superheated volatile agents and charge the shelf f with bituminous coal, the gases from which, passing through the rear opening j of the crucible, are necessarily brought into intimate contact with the charge of ore on the bed H', and induce deoxidization.

I claiml. The process of converting cast-iron into steel by subjecting the molten metal first tol the act-ion of a volatile agent, by which it is partly decarbonized, and then treating it with a solid or liquid agent, as set forth.

2. In the manufacture of iron and steel direct from the ore, subjecting the latter and the metal flowing' therefrom to a volatilized deoxidizing agent, passing in a current over and in contact with the metal, and impinging on the ore. j

3. In the manufacture of iron and steel, subjcctin g the ore and the metal flowing there from to volatilized hydrocarbons passing in a current over the meta-l to the ore.

4. The combination, in a furnace, of a bedor spout, H, and passages arranged as described, so that a current of gas may ow from beneath, across the end of and over the spout, as set forth.

5. The combination, in a furnace, of a crucible, a spout projecting into the latter, and a passage arranged to direct a stream of gas across or through molten metal passing from the spout, as described.

6. The combination, with a furnace, of a crucible, G, having its base adapted to the i11- clined or rounded bed of a furnace, as set forth, for the .purpose specified.

7. The combination of crucible G, contained of the furnace, and projecting into an opening in thecrucible, all substantially as specified.

v8. In Combination with the shelf H and With the. opening in the Crucible, into which it pro-A jects, the passage m, in or beneath the said shelf, for the purpose specified.

9. The combination, With the Crucible G, of a detachable shelf, f, adapted to the opening b of the Crucible, as specified.

10. The Within-described. Crucible, having an opening, j, at the rear and in front a mouth, d, orice-, and tapping-hole h.

11. The Combination of the Crucible G with the chamber B of the furnace, and nues a a, as shown in Fig. 3.

12. The Combination ofthe Crucible G, with the door I of the furnace.

13. The charging-shelf H', arranged in 'rcspe-ct to the flue b, as specified. v .i

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

Y HAYDN M.v BAKER.

Witnesses:

Ons. T. GRCTJAN,

H. A. SPEARS. 

